Artificial reefs attract divers, fish and fishers. But is that a good thing?

Cyber Diving Network News explores the complex issues surrounding the creation of artificial reefs.

Felicia Coleman, a fisheries ecologist at Florida State University, says that it is arrogant to assume that we know enough to artificially recreate a complicated ecosystem.

She notes that in places like Alabama - a state with a 38-mile coastline - so many artificial structures have been sunk that the marine community has completely changed. While some claim to be trading an unproductive community for a more productive one, Dr. Coleman asks, "Productive to whom?"

Read more:
http://www.cdnn.info/news/article/a030414.html

Artificial reef creation great for divers but benefits to marine life not so certain

Cyber Diver News Network discusses the controversy surrounding the proposed Halkett Bay artificial reef project and the ecomic interests involved in the 'wrecks to reefs' industry.

Rejecting dive industry green-wash that scuttling a warship in Halkett Bay Provincial Park is a "marine ecological enhancement initiative", federal officials said the 113-metre-long vessel would "cover and destroy" 1,470 square metres of special seabed.

The article goes on to note that artificial reef creation is growing worldwide.

At a recent dive industry trade show run by DEMA, a California-based scuba marketing group funded by member contributions from retail dive stores, dive boat operators and resorts, "wrecks to reefs" promoters boasted that scuttling ships as scuba diving attractions is an economic initiative that represents the most effective way to increase dive tourism and grow the dive industry.
Read more:

http://www.cdnn.info/news/industry/i100422.html

Plan to sink ex-warship to bottom of Howe Sound takes a hit

A proposed artificial reef in Howe Sound would do more harm than good.

“The project would result in significant harmful alteration, disruption, and destruction of fish habitat – without suitable justification or appropriate compensation. The project has the potential to adversely affect species of concern, including rockfish species and SARA-listed humpback whale and Stellar sea lion.”

Read more:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/plan-to-sink-ex-warship-to-bottom-of-howe-sound-takes-a-hit/article1542482/

Artificial reefs creating 'fish bowls'

Politician in Australia question the expansion and creation of artificial reefs and that the reefs benefit the fishers more than the fish.

''Most of the problems of fish stocks can be traced to inappropriate land use management, of estuaries, wetlands,'' he said. ''Why isn't the government spending money on areas that increase numbers of fish?''

Read more:
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/government-chases-fishing-vote-with-the-great-yarra-reef-20100422-tg22.html

Sinking of John McCain's Old Aircraft Carrier Denounced

The toxic waste watchdog organization Basel Action Network (BAN) speaks out against the government’s plans to scuttle a former aircraft carrier in deep water as an “artificial reef” instead of having the ship safely recycled at one of the half-dozen active ship dismantling yards in the U.S.

such ocean dumping ravages the marine ecosystem, hammers U.S. taxpayers with unnecessary expense, costs U.S. jobs, and violates international law against ocean dumping.

Read the entire press release here:
http://www.ban.org/ban_news/2009/090727_sinking_of_old_aircraft_carrier_denounced.html

Reefing Madness: Greenpeace and Basel Action Network speak out

A paper prepared by the Basel Action Network and Greenpeace opposing the sinking of a Florida warship.

One might wonder why it would be difficult to dispose of ships which each on average may containabout $3,000,000.00 worth of steel that can be recycled. The answer is that these vessels are floating caskets, full of toxic materials such as asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) integral to itsconstruction materials that if dealt with responsibly on land, via pre-cleaning or decontamination, wouldcost the government far more than the steel is worth.

Read the entire paper in PDF form here:
http://www.ban.org/Library/reports_Reefing_Madness_Final_May_06.pdf

Letter of opposition to sinking of ship in BC

Georgia Strait Alliance letter of opposition to the creation of an artificial reef in British Columbia.

There is no scientific agreement that artificial reef construction is beneficial to the marine environment, and indeed, there is much scientific opinion that it can actually be harmful - particularly when reefs are made from "materials of convenience" (eg. old warships) rather than being designed for the specific location and for enhancement of specific species considering factors such as the number of chambers, chamber size, optimum reef size, design, substrate, depth vs. distance offshore, spatial arrangement or configuration and materials, etc. Artificial reefs made of old ships and other cast-off materials are unnecessary and may even harm the environment by replacing existing natural habitats with less effective artificial ones. At the very least, we are altering marine habitat by sinking ships.

Another interesting point

The steel hull and aluminum superstructure of these ships corrode quickly underwater, making the ship a potential hazard. A diver who explored the Chaudiere 16 months after its sinking confirmed that pieces of the ship broke away in his hands and jagged edges were exposed

Read the entire letter here:
http://www.georgiastrait.org/?q=node/603

An article in Scientific American about using subway cars for artificial reefs

One question that was largely overlooked in the entire controversy was whether artificial reefs should be created at all. Many fishing groups supported the reef-building efforts, arguing that more reefs and therefore more habitat would lead to more reef fish, but that may not be the case. "It's obviously beneficial to the person who has a boat that makes money renting space on the boat to catch fish. And it's of benefit to the person that has a private boat and wants to catch fish," Bennett says. "The question is whether it's good for the fish, and I don't think we know the answer."

Read the entire article here:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-submerged-subway-reef

Understanding the Ecology of Artificial Reefs

A scientist in Florida discusses the complex issues surrounding artificial reefs including how fish populations are altered by their presence.

When we build a reef, we’re altering the availability
of the structure fish need in proximity to their foraging
grounds. So yes, they’re drawn to it, and there are rea-
sonable studies to suggest that in general, artificial reefs
hold initially higher densities of fish than natural reefs.
However, there is not necessarily the same biodiversity
or the same community composition because the reef
structures, by design, are different.

Read the entire article (in PDF form)
http://www.flseagrant.org/images/PDFs/sgeb_65_web%20optimized.pdf

Altering the natural habitat

The Ocean Conservancy features an article from Blue Planet highlighting some of the problems with artificial reefs.

Artificial reefs can also be detrimental to the existing habitat. “To some people, it appears that a sandy ocean bottom is a wasteland with no value, so a reef would create a wonderful habitat,” Powell says. What people aren’t taking into account is that the sandy bottom is a natural habitat supporting ocean life. “Many artificial reefs are being put in place with little thought of how they affect the habitat that was originally there.”

 Read more
http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=9366&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=bpm_

What happens to artificial reefs in the future?

E-Magazine posts an interesting perspective on the artificial reef debate in response to a reader's question.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which sunk 100 obsolete combat tanks in 1994, estimates that most artificial reefs will last no longer than 50 years, meaning they could threaten fragile marine life as they break up

Read the entire article here:
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?1867&src=

Community fights artificial reef project in Howe Sound

Gambier Island marine park is controversial site for new artificial reef project

the feds are potentially approving the dumping of naval junk onto the provincial property without any apparent input or concern by the provincial minister of environment,"

Read more
http://www.cdnn.info/news/industry/i100413.html

Environmental group concerned about PCB contaminated wiring in sunken ship

Environmental group is concerned that warships are being sunk with PCB contaminated wiring still intact.

"You have to be very cautious because you never know what you might discover in five or 10 years time that you hadn't taken into account. Once you [sink] a ship, it's never coming back up again,"

Read the entire article here:
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=5ef3226a-d6ca-43c4-abeb-275a4b2c20f8

Who do artificial reefs really benefit?

An article in Newsweek exploring the economic motivations behind artificial reef creation.

as artificial-reef initiatives grow to include more coastal regions and a wider array of aged infrastructure, some scientists worry that the commercial interests of fishing, diving and trash disposal are driving efforts that should be environmental.

Read the whole article here:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/142534

Georgia Strait Alliance on Artificial Reefs

Environmental alliance questions the benefits of artificial reef creation.

Recreational divers groups have promoted the sinking of derelict ships as artificial reefs at sites throughout Georgia Strait. On the surface, an artificial reef sounds like a good idea. So what's the problem?
Scientists have been studying artificial reefs since the 1970's. While they agree that these reefs have an effect, they do not agree that the effect is beneficial.

Read their entire statement:
http://www.georgiastrait.org/?q=node/604

Living reef damaged during expansion of artificial reefs

Expansion of an artificial reef in Hawaii damages living coral.

A preliminary report released by two federal agencies confirmed that when the state accidentally dropped 125, 1.3-ton concrete slabs onto a swath of coral reef off South Maui last year, it damaged a living habitat for myriad fish and other aquatic life-forms.

Read the entire article here:
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100326/NEWS0103/3260354/Artificial-reef-s-concrete-slabs-damaged-living-habitat

Do artificial reefs work?

An interesting article out of Australia examining whether artificial reefs are an effective method of encouraging and protecting fish stock.

"The concept for constructing artificial reefs as a means of enhancing recreational fisheries is now considered questionable by fisheries managers if we are to maintain fish stocks at sustainable levels."

Read the entire article here:
http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/fisheries/recreational_fishing/artificial_reefs/do_artificial_reefs_work